Power-driven soot blower



June l10, 1947. 'DE Los E. HIBNER x-:TALv 2,421,940

POWER DRIVEN SOOT BLOWER4 Filed Aug. 5, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 DE Los E. HIBNER ET AL 2,421,940

PowERDRIvEN soon.1 BLowER June 10, 1947.

Filed Aug. 5, 1944 4 Sheets-*Sheet 2 W VQ@ June 10, 1947. DELos E. HIBNER ErAL 2,421,940

POWER DRIVEN SOOT BLOWER Filed Aug. 5, 1944 4 sheets-sheets ff w 1 M 674/117. I

June 1o, 1947.

DE LOS E. HIBNER ETALV POWER DRIVEN SOOT BLOWER Filed Aug. 5,v 1944 ,4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patentecl june 10, 947

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE POWER-DRIVEN SOOT BLOWER De Los E. Hibner and Fred C. Arcy, Du Bois, Pa., assignors to Vulcan Soot Blower Corporation, a corporation or Pennsylvania Application August 5, 1944, Serial No. 548,184

. "1 claims. (c1. 12g- 392) In our prior application, Serial llumber 424,222, led December 24, 1941, we have disclosed a soot blower apparatus in which the tubular Aplowing element swings between a vertical idle position close to the inner Vside of a furnace 'wallxand a working position crosswise of the furnace and at right angles to said wall. The present invention relates to apparatus of this general type. and has for its object to provide for the swinging element a simple and efficient power driven operating means that requires the attendant merely to move a small device, such as a push button for example, to start and complete a blowing cycle and, if desired, an emergency button or the like to cause the cycle to be cut short, when necessary. The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointedout with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of our invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed. description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: -1

Figure l is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of an apparatus embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on irregular line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a section on line .li-il of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a view, on a larger scale and looking toward the right from a point to the left of Fig. 4 of the main air valve and certain parts appearing to the right, of the valve in Fig. 4 Fig. 7 is a section on line fil-i ofllig. 1; ,and Fig. 8. is a diagram illustrating the control system for theblower.

ln the drawings the actual blowing element and the mounting for the same on the furnace wall are shown as being substantiallylike the same parts in our aforesaid application Serial Number 424,222. In other words, l, asappears in Fig. 5, represents a furnace wall having therein a long, narrow, vertical opening in which is fitted and fixed a housing 2 open on the inner side of the furnace wall and projecting a substantial distance outwardly from the latter; the housing being divided into two sections onl a plane remote from and parallel to the wall; the outer section being secured to the inner section in any suitable` way to permit the clamping between the sections of a pair of bearings i that support a tubular shaft 5; and the tubular blowing element G being fixed to the shaft and receiving cleaning iiuid therefrom. H

As best shown in Fig. l the tubular shaft 5, which is closed at both ends, extends barely beyond the housing on one side, while projecting a considerable distance on the other side. This shaft is preferably-made in two sections coupled together outside of the housing, as indicated at 7, at a `point between the housing 2 and the gear casing to be described later. The endmost portion` of the long, protruding part of the shaft extends through andis rotatable in an extension 8 of a blower head il of any usual or suitable type. The central part of the member 8 contains a chamber surrounding the shaft and larger in diameter than the latter; Cleaning fluid, usually steam, passes from the head into the chamber It and from `there into the interior of the shaft through `ports i i in the wall of the latter. Escape of cleaning fluid from chamber EQ along the eX- terior of the `shaft is prevented by suitable packing i2 that surrounds the shaft in the tubular end sections of member t.

The head 9 is hung from an overlying bracket ifi by means of an adjustable screwthreaded rod or stud l5. The bracket projects from the side of a gear casing iii which is in turn hung from a sturdy round bar il fixed at one end to and projecting from one side of the housing 2 near the top of the latter and above and parallel to the tubular shaft. The tubular shaft of course passes through the lower part of the gear casing which therefore `provides a further bearing for the shaft. In the arrangement shown the casing has on top a block lli containing a long bore in which the round bar il is a sliding fit. Set screwsV lil serve to lock the block to the bar, while permitting detachment of the latterwhen desired.

The tubular shaft 5 is adapted to be oscillated by a suitable engine 20 xed to the side of the gear casing above the bracket I4; this engine being conveniently similar to those shown in our prior application Serial Number 539,552 filed June 9, 1944, to which reference may be had for the details thereof. This engine drives the tubular shaft through gearing located in the gear casing. As can be seen'from Figs. 2 and 7, the engine shaft 2l has thereon, in the gear casing, a pinion 22 that meshes with a gear wheel 213 on a shaft 25. On this latter shaft, as best shown in Fig. 1, is a worm 2S which meshes with a worm wheel 21 on a shaft 28. On the shaft 23 is a worm 29 meshing with a, worlnwheel til on a shaft 3l that parallels the tubular shaft 5 and protrudes at one end from the side of the gear casing toward the housing 2. There is also on the shaft 3l a pinion 32 which meshes with a gear wheel 34 on the tubular shaft. Consequently, when the engine runs, the tubular shaft turns slowly in a direction that is determined by the direction in which the engine shaft rotates. l

Although the tubular shaft turns through an angle of only about ninety degrees, (as illusrated by thevtwo eXtreme positions indicated by full and broken lines, respectively, in Fig. 5), the engine must rotate many times to swing the blowingV element from one extreme position to the other.V

The shaft 3l serves not only as a part of'the driving means between the engine and the tubular shaft, but also as a part of a controller to reverse the engine after the latter has made a su'icient number of turns to raise the tubular blowing element into the full line position of Fig; thereby causing further operation of the engine in a direction to lower the blowing element again into the dotted or broken line position in Fig. 5. For this purpose there is xed on the protruding end of the shaft 3| a disc 35 on which are a plurality of peripheral lugs that can be adjusted circumferentially of the disc independently of each other. In the arrangement shown, there are three such lugs, those numbered 3.6 and 31 serving to operate a reversing valve, while lug 38 acts to shut off the supply of energizing fluid to the engine at the end of a cycle of operations.

Mounted on the outside of the gear casing above the disc 35 is a reversing valve 39 which, like that in our aforesaid application Ser. No. 539,552, may be shifted by pneumatically operated plungers or pistons, or mechanically by the lugs 36 and 31 on the disc 35; the shifting of the reversing valve through the action of the lugs being effected by causing one or the other of these lugs to engage with and move an operating finger 40 for the valve. For operating the reversing valve through the action of iiuid pressure, we have provided a pair of pipes, 4| and 42, to deliver air under pressure into either of the two cylinders 44 and 45; these cylinders containing pistons or plungers, not shown, associated with the valve as in the last mentioned application.

Mounted on what may be called the front side of the gear casing is a self-closing valve 46 similar to the main valves in our aforesaid application Ser. N. 539,552. It is believed suicient to explain the functions of the valve since the structural details thereof are not features of the present invention. Air under pressure is supplied to the valve through a pipe 41 and, when the valve is open, air ilows therefrom to the reversing valve 39 through a pipe 48 and to a pneumatic actuator 49 for the usual pilot valve in the blower head 9 through a pipe 58. As best seen in Figs. 4 and 6, the movable element of main valve 46 has a stem 5| protruding from the casing thereof; this stem being provided with a head 52 on its outer end. When air under pressure is introduced into the main valve device through a pipe 54 the movable element of the main valve is driven in the direction to cause air from pipe 41 to iiow out through pipes 48 and 5B; the stem 5| being caused to protrude farther in such open position of the valve than it does when the valve is closed. As in the last mentioned application, there is a rocking dog or latch 55 tending constantly to swing into and remain in a position wherein one end thereof lies under or behind the head 52 to hold the main air valve open. The other end of the latch lies in the path of a pin 56 on the lug 38 which is adjustably mounted on the wheel or disc 35.

It will be seen that the pipe 4|, which leads to one of the pneumatic actuators for the reversing switch or valve, is a branch of pipe 54 that delivers the iuid to open the main air valve. Thus air is admitted simultaneously to the main air valve to open the same and to the operating means for the reversing valve, in the starting of a cycle. Consequently, if the reversing valve is not in the proper position to cause the engine to run in the direction to swing the blowing element up at the time of opening the main air valve to blowing element begins to swing up.

energize the engine, the reversing valve will be shifted to establish the proper conditions.

The reversing valve is connected to the engine by two pipes 51 and 58. Either of these pipes may be the supply pipe for the engine and the other the exhaust pipe, depending on the position of the reversing valve; the direction of rotation of the engine being determined by the direction of flow through these pipes.

Any desired number of blower units may be operated from a simple control panel. In the diagram, Fig. 8, there is a small panel 59. adapted to control two units. In the main, this panel may be like that illustrated in detail in our aforesaid application Ser. No. 539,552; there being two push buttons, 8U and 6|, that serve to admit air under pressure, supplied through a pipe 62, to the pipes 54 of two units. A third button 64 is adapted to admit air to the pipes 42 of both units, simultaneously. In other words, either blower unit may be started independently of the other by pressing the corresponding push button, 6|) or 6|, while both units may be caused to return to their idle positions through the actuation of a single push .button 64; the admission of air to the pipes 42 causing the engines to be reversed if they be not already rotating in the direction to swing the tubular blowing elements down into their idle positions.

Before describing the operation of the apparatus in more detail, attention is called to the fact that whereas in Figs. 1 and 5 the blowing element is shown only in the fully raised or fully lowered positions, Fig. 4 illustrates conditions as they exist when the blowing element is in an intermediate position. However, starting from a position of rest, with the blowing element hanging straight down, the lug 38 is holding the latch 55 clear of the head 52 on the valve stem 5|; the reversing valve is in the position it occupies in Fig. 4; and the lug 31 is engaged with or near the actuator 40 for the reversing valve. Upon pressing push button 60 air ilows from pipe 62 into pipe 54 and is carried thereby, and by branch pipe 4|, to the main air valve device to open the main air valve and to the pneumatic actuator for the reversing valve to shift the same if it be not already in the desired position. The engine now starts and the As the lug 38 on the control disc moves away from the latch, the latter swings under the head 52 on the outer end of the stem of the movable member of the main air valve, as shown in Fig. 4, and holds the main air valve open. When the blowing element is about to reach its extreme raised position the lug 36 engages the actuator 40 for the reversing valve and causes this valve to be shifted and the engine to be reversed. As the blowing element nears its idle position again, toward the end of a cycle, the lug 31 again shifts the reversing valve and the lug 38 trips the latch 55; the tripping of the latch allowing the main valve to close and causing the engine to stop. Should the engine stop before the reversing valve has been shifted then, upon beginning the next cycle through the actuation of button 60, the pneumatic actuator will throw the reversing valve into the proper position for repeating the cycle just described.

In an emergency, the pressing of button 64 will cause all of the units that are connected in the system to return their blowing elements to their idle positions as quickly as possible, reversing such of the engines as are at the time driving their blowing elements upward and causing those elements to start back before reaching the normal turning points.

It will thus be seen that we have produced a simple, rugged and compact blower unit the parts of which can easily be assembled and be readily adjusted either before or after mounting the unit on a furnace walll By mounting the gear casing on the cantilever arm or bar I1 in the manner illustrated, the set screws need only be loosened to permit the casing to be slipped on or off the supporting cantilever or be adjusted lengthwise of the latter, as occasion may require. Also, the

6 ports that place the interior thereof in communication with the said chamber.

3. In a soot blower unit, a high, deep and narrow housing for attachment to a furnace wall, a tubular shaft having thereon a blowing element in fluid conducting relation therewith, said shaft extending transversely through the lower end of the housing and being rotatably supported therein with the blowing element disposed at its base end within the housing, a cantilever member fixed to the housing above and parallel to the blower head may quickly and easily be adjusted in the vertical direction so that the tubular shaft will not bind therein. By making the tubular shaft in two sections, coupled together between the housing and the gear casing, assembly of the parts, the adjustment thereof and the mounting of the unit as a whole is facilitated. It will also be seen that by having all of the lugs 35, 31 and 38 on a single disc, a setting of the controls for any desired sweep of the tubular blowing element may easily be made, because the workman sees all three lugs while he is adjusting any one of them. Again, by employing a single push button for returning any desired number of blowing elements to their idle positions and individual buttons to cause them to swing in the opposite direction, the control panel as well as the control system as a whole is greatly simplified.

We claim:

1. In a soot blower unit, a deep, high and narrow housing for attachment to a furnace wall, a tubular shaft having thereon a blowing element at right .angles thereto and in fluid conducting relation therewith, said shaft extending transversely through the lower end of the housing and being rotatably supported therein with the blowing element disposed at its base end within the housing, a cantilever member fixed to the housing above and parallel to said shaft, a gear casing hung from said member and having a bearing through which the shaft extends, an engine mounted on one side of the casing, a gear train in the casing connecting the shaft to the engine,

and a blower head for supplying cleaning fluid, said head having a part containing a chamber for such fluid, and said shaft extending through said chamber and containing ports that place the interior of the shaft in communication with the chamber.

2. In a soot blower unit, a high, deep and narrow housing for attachment to a furnace wall, a tubular shaft having thereon a blowing element in fluid conducting relation therewith, said shaft extending transversely through the lower end of the housing and being rotatably supported therein with the blowing element disposed at its base within the housing, a cantilever member fixed to the housing above and parallel to the shaft, a gear casing hung from the said member and having a bearing through which the shaft extends, an engine mounted on one side of the gear casing, a gear train in the casing connecting the shaft and engine, a head for sup'- plying cleaning fluid adjustably supported by the casing on the side of the latter remote from the housing, said head having a part that surrounds the shaft and containing a chamber for the cleaning fluid larger in diameter than the shaft, said part of the head having bearings for the shaft on opposite sides of said chamber to prevent escape of cleaning fluid along the exterior of the shaft, and said. shaft Containing shaft, a gear casing hung from said member and having an opening through which the shaft extends, an engine mounted on one side of the casing above the shaft, a gear train in the casing connecting the engine and the shaft, a blower head adjustably connected to the gear casing below the engine, said head having a chamber for cleaning fluid surrounding and larger in diameter than said shaft, and the shaft having therein ports that place the interior of the shaft in communication with said chamber.

4. In a soot blower unit, a high, deep and narrow housing for attachment to a furnace wall, a tubular shaft having thereon a blower element in fluid conducting relation therewith and extending through the lower part of the housing, bearings for the shaft in the housing, a cantilever member fixed to the housing above and parallel to the shaft, a gear casing hung from said member in spaced relation to the housing and having an opening through which the shaft extends, an engine mounted on the side of the casing remote from the housing, a gear train in the casing connecting the shaft to the engine, an element of the gear train projecting from the casing on the side toward the housing, a controller for the engine carried on said gear train element in the space between the housing and the casing, a blower head adjustably connected to said casing and containing a chamber for cleaning fluid surrounding and larger in diameter than the shaft, andthe shaft having therein ports that place the interior thereof in communication with the said chamber.

5. An apparatus such as described in claim 1, wherein the tubular shaft is in two sections detachably connected to each other in the space between the housing and the casing.

6. .An apparatus such as described in claim 1, wherein there is a bracket xed to the gear casing above the blower head and the head is fastened to the bracket by means affording adjustment at right angles to the shaft.

' 7. An apparatus such as described in claim 1, wherein the gear casing has at the top a bearing block surrounding and slidable along the cantilever member.

DE LOS E. HIBNER. FRED C. AREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ln the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hibner et al Aug. 24, 1943 

